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Canada and the Circumpolar Arctic

The North covers 40 percent of Canada’s territory. It is home to more than 100,000 inhabitants, of whom more than half are Indigenous.

We work with domestic and international partners to reach our goals in the region. We are committed to addressing climate change, renewing relations with Indigenous peoples, and supporting Northern development through evidence-based research.

In the December 2016 United States-Canada Joint Arctic Leaders’ Statement, Canada’s Prime Minister announced several actions regarding the Arctic, including the development of a new Arctic Policy Framework with Northerners, Territorial and Provincial governments, and First Nations, Inuit, and Métis People that will replace Canada’s 2009 Northern Strategy and 2010 Arctic Foreign Policy Statement.

The Government of Canada’s international Arctic priorities are implemented through a whole-of-government approach, both at home and abroad. Of these, the Canadian International Arctic Centre (CIAC), located in Oslo, Norway pursues four specific objectives:

to contribute to the development and implementation of Canadian Arctic foreign policy, including strengthened regional engagement

to support the identification of targeted, innovative trade and commercial opportunities for the North, including and benefiting Northerners

to help position Canada as a global leader in Arctic science and research

to assert Canadian positions and contribute to raising Canada's profile on Northern issues, through an active advocacy strategy involving Northern participation